2024 NFL Roster Bubble: Biggest Names Who Could Be Cut (2024)

The NFL preseason is always an exciting time for football fans. It brings the first real on-field action they've seen in many months, and it provides an early glimpse of what's to come.

While the preseason is undoubtedly exciting for players too, it can also be stressful period. Many of them face the real possibility of being left off a roster when final cuts are due on August 27.

Jobs are frequently won or lost during the preseason because teams can only carry 53 players on their regular-season rosters. Those final few spots are usually decided by factors such as positional value, special teams contributions, price and any lasting impressions from the preseason and training camp.

Ultimately, several notable names will find themselves looking for work on August 28.

Based on recent production, health, positional value, roster makeup and contract implications, these notable veterans could soon land in the free-agent player pool.

Two offseasons ago, the Cleveland Browns used a third-round pick on wideout David Bell.

While the Purdue product didn't possess elite athletic traits entering the 2022 draft, he carried a good combination of size (6'0", 212 lbs), play strength, body control and proven production—he amassed 1,286 receiving yards in his final year as a Boilermaker.

However, there's a numbers game to be played in Cleveland, and it could cost Bell a roster spot.

The Browns have their WR1 in Amari Cooper and have traded for Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy in the last two offseasons. They also used a 2023 third-round pick on Cedric Tillman Jr. and a 2024 fifth-round pick on Jamari Thrash.

While Bell did record three touchdowns last season, he's also produced just 381 receiving yards in two seasons. He was supposed to be a high-floor prospect, but the early contributions never came.

Cleveland has shown that it won't keep players for sentimental reasons. Anthony Schwartz, a 2021 third-round pick, was in Bell's position last offseason, and he was waived at the end of August.

Bell suffered a quad injury in the preseason opener, which could make it difficult for him to make an impression before final cuts.

Releasing the 23-year-old would save just under $1.2 million in cap space, which is a sizeable amount if the third-year receiver isn't destined to see the field.

Teams typically aren't thrilled to use draft capital on specialists, so when a kicker gets drafted, it's noteworthy.

Last year, the Green Bay Packers used a sixth-round selection on kicker Anders Carlson. The hope was that he would provide the sort of kicking stability Green Bay once enjoyed with Mason Crosby.

However, the Auburn product had his fair share of ups and downs as a rookie. He made just 27 of 33 field-goal attempts and 34 of 39 point-after tries during the regular season before missing two more kicks in the postseason.

Carlson's missed 41-yard attempt in the fourth quarter of the divisional round proved costly in a three-point loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, the Packers are making the 26-year-old win the job all over again. Green Bay added Greg Joseph this offseason. It recently added rookie Alex Hale, according to Andy Herman of Packer Report.

Draft status alone won't give Carlson an edge. The Packers are playoff contenders, they're going to carry the most reliable kicker into the regular season, and they're not going to carry a backup specialist.

Carlson could be out a year after being drafted.

Two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings used the 32nd overall pick in the draft on defensive back Lewis Cine. Unfortunately, they have had little in return over the past two years.

The Georgia product's health has been part of the problem. He suffered a devastating knee injury as a rookie that ended any chance of him making a Year 1 impact. It's worth noting, though, that he barely saw playing time before the injury—he played just two defensive snaps in 2022.

Last season, Cine appeared in seven games but was again primarily a special teamer (eight defensive snaps). He heads into Year 3 knowing it's a make-or-break campaign.

"I think I really gotta show out and really ball out and prove why I should be here and why I deserve to be playing in the NFL," he told KSTP's Darren Wolfson in July.

Unfortunately for the third-year player, Minnesota isn't short on safety depth, and the 24-year-old was listed as a third-stringer on the team's first unofficial depth chart of the preseason. He may have to wow in exhibition play to secure a roster spot.

Now, cutting Cine would actually cost Minnesota $2.3 million in cap space, so the Vikings will likely look to dump him in a trade before releasing him. However, he could still be cut if the team is desperate for a roster spot.

The Carolina Panthers essentially face a no-win situation with running back Miles Sanders. They inked him to a lucrative deal last offseason and still owe a good chunk of guaranteed money.

Releasing the 2022 Pro Bowler would save just $200,000 in 2024 cap space while triggering a dead-cap hit of $7.5 million this season. The Panthers could save $4.2 million in cap space by trading him but finding a taker would be borderline impossible.

Sanders was arguably the biggest bust of 2023 free agency. He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry last season, was out of the starting lineup by Week 6 and finished with fewer than 600 scrimmage yards. He knows that his first Panthers campaign wasn't good enough.

"I'm not blaming nobody but myself. I'm just ready to play. I'm ready to have a better season," the 27-year-old said, per Kassidy Hill of the team's official website.

At this point, though, the Panthers may simply prefer to cut ties. Chuba Hubbard proved to be a capable starter last season (1,135 scrimmage yards), and Carolina used a second-round pick on Jonathan Brooks.

Brooks, who is recovering from a torn ACL, isn't expected to play until Week 3 or Week 4, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. That alone may give Sanders a chance to stick. However, Mike Boone's willingness to play special teams could give him the edge for the RB3 role.

Wideout Kadarius Toney entered the NFL as a first-round selection by the New York Giants in 2021. But he lasted less than two full seasons there before being flipped to the Kansas City Chiefs for a third-round selection.

Though the 25-year-old was one of the surprise heroes of Super Bowl LVII—he had a 65-yard punt return and a fourth-quarter go-ahead touchdown—he was largely a disappointment for the Chiefs this past season.

Toney made several mistakes in 2023, including the infamous Week 14 offsides call, provided a passer rating of only 66.7 when targeted and was inactive for the final three regular-season games and the entire postseason.

The Chiefs now have the Florida product listed as a fourth-string receiver on their first unofficial preseason depth chart, and he is almost certainly fighting for a roster spot.

Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore return from last year's receiving corps, plus Kansas City signed Marquise Brown and used a first-round pick on Xavier Worthy.

The shoulder injury Brown suffered in the preseason opener may increase Toney's chances of sticking, but it's beginning to look like a long shot.

While Toney still has elite athletic upside, a Super Bowl contender like the Chiefs simply can't waste a roster spot on a player it can't trust. Brown, once healthy, and Worthy bring plenty of breakaway ability to the offense, which should make Toney expendable.

And while Kansas City would save no cap space by releasing him, and it wouldn't take an extra cap hit, either.

The Chiefs decided not to keep wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling, even though his touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII played a big role in delivering a second straight championship to Kansas City.

The 29-year-old has far exceeded expectations as a 2018 sixth-round pick. While he has never had a 1,000-yard campaign, his speed has proved to be an asset for the Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers before that.

The Buffalo Bills added Valdes-Scantling as part of this offseason's receiving corps makeover. They also added Curtis Samuel, Chase Claypool, K.J. Hamler and rookie second-round pick Keon Coleman.

According to The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia, Valdes-Scantling entered camp facing an uphill battle.

"Valdes-Scantling has faded into the background in the last few practices," he wrote. "He has yet to make a strong impression in the passing game during team drills, and his opportunities with quarterback Josh Allen and the top unit have dwindled."

Buffalo is looking to employ a group effort in replacing former No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs, and that may involve keeping receivers who fill very specific roles. While Valdes-Scantling may be one of the bigger names in the receiving corps, if he doesn't fit, he's not going to stick.

Valdes-Scantling's one-year, $2.25 million contract was guaranteed at signing, but that won't secure a roster spot on a playoff-caliber team that needs contributions from all 53 players.

Veteran receiver Robert Woods played a big role for the Houston Texans in 2023. While his 40 catches and 426 receiving yards were far from eye-catching, he served as a veteran leader for a franchise learning how to win.

"Just trying to set the expectation for this offense and this team," he told reporters during 2023 organized team activities.

After winning the AFC South and a playoff game last season, though, the Texans have figured out the winning part of the equation. They're also not short on receiving talent, with Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Noah Brown, John Metchie III and newcomer Stefon Diggs headlining the receiver room.

Most of Houston's receivers are young and well-positioned to grow alongside quarterback C.J. Stroud. Woods and Diggs are the elder statesmen of the group, and Houston may not be eager to keep both of them in contract years.

The Texans surrendered a second-round pick to land Diggs—plus a 2024 sixth-rounder and a 2025 fifth-rounder—so his roster spot should be secure. Woods' place likely hinges on how Houston weighs his leadership against the cost of keeping him for another season.

Releasing the 32-year-old would save just under $5 million in 2024 cap space.

Good backup quarterbacks usually don't have to worry about their roster spots in August because NFL teams typically put a premium on depth at the game's most important position.

Bailey Zappe may not be considered a good starter, but with eight starts on his resume and a .500 record, he's certainly a good backup. At times over the past two years, he even outplayed 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones for the New England Patriots.

However, Jones is no longer in New England, and Zappe represents the only holdover from last season. The Patriots brought in journeyman Jacoby Brissett to be the bridge and used the third overall pick on Drake Maye.

Brissett and Maye aren't going anywhere, so Zappe is competing with rookie sixth-round pick Joe Milton III for the QB3 spot. Unfortunately for Zappe, he just doesn't possess the dual-threat ability, arm talent or wow factor of Milton, who finished his preseason debut 4-of-6 for 54 yards and a touchdown with 22 rushing yards.

If New England is eyeing the playoffs in 2024, it might prefer the experienced, steady hand behind Brissett and Maye. It's rebuilding, though, and likely to value a player with Milton's long-term potential highly.

Assuming the Patriots only keep three quarterbacks on the roster, Zappe will probably be the odd man out. If Milton continues to perform as he did last Thursday, there's no way New England could stash him on the practice squad.